My SD Moms I spilled my juice.
I can’t find my socks.
I need to go potty.
Will you tie my shoe?
I want my bottle.
Watch me jump.
My nose is running.
Kelly and Tyrone are fighting!
There are times when it seems as if every child in the room is demanding something different, all at once. When this happens, I’ve been know to declare, “Hey, guys, I’m not an octopus!” Coincidentally, there are eight kids in my group and an octopus has eight arms. When I say I’m not an octopus my kids laugh and know it’s a joke. Sometimes, it’s not so funny.
The element of Problem Solving that requires us to be an octopus is supervision. Supervision isn’t one of those fun topics; the mention of supervision makes eyes to go blank and glaze over. Yet affective supervision is what holds any program together. Without good supervision, things fall apart and you have chaos.
What Exactly Is Supervision and What Are Its Components? The definition of supervision is to “oversee,” and this fits the description of what you, as a problem-solving teacher, do with a group of children. Your role is to watch rather than direct, respond rather than restrict, help rather than intrude. You are there to facilitate, that is, to make it easy for kids to be free, safe, and responsible.